Title: Intelligent machine tools: current status and evolutional architecture

Authors: Toshimichi Moriwaki, Keiichi Shirase

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kobe University, 1–1 Rokko, Nada, Kobe, 657–8501, Japan. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kobe University, 1–1 Rokko, Nada, Kobe, 657–8501, Japan

Abstract: CNC machine tools are rapidly expanding their performances and becoming more intelligent, thanks to recent developments in the software and information technologies as well as advances in the hardware and control technologies. The present paper defines the framework of the future intelligent machine tool, and discusses possible technological development in the near future based on the analysis of current technologies of advanced CNC machine tools. The key issues are autonomous planning and decision-making technologies, process monitoring and control technologies. The evolutionary architecture called digital copy milling, which achieves autonomous milling operations without instructions from NC programs, is also introduced in the paper.

Keywords: intelligent machine tools; autonomous machine tools; cutting process control; digital copy milling; CNC machine tools.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMTM.2006.010055

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2006 Vol.9 No.3/4, pp.204 - 218

Published online: 14 Jun 2006 *

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